Rinku loved Shoshti, the sixth day of Navaratri, as it was something like a children’s day where the mothers prayed for her children and disciplining was kept on hold. She loved to listen to the ‘broto katha’ the priest narrates, sitting alongside her mother in a new dress, holding a flower and Durba grass in her hand. She liked to watch the Kalparambho ritual during early morning, where vow or sankalpa was made to conduct the Pujo according to laid down customs and rituals. Her father had told her that it started with installing the water filled copper ghata in the mandap, and offer of worship to Goddess Durga and Chandi. And it was nice to watch Maa Durga arrive with her children and their pets or vahanas, but minus her husband Shiva. Her two sons were Ganesh and Kartik ..Ganesh had a pet mouse and Kartik a peacock. Saraswati with her swan and Laxmi with her owl were Durga’s two daughters. Rinku believed in making a special extra prayer to Maa Sarswati, goddess of learning to help her pass her exams with grace.

Her father had told her…’ See Rinku, we Hindus have one to one relation with our Gods. We welcome them to our homes or mandap, bathe and dress them in beautiful clothes, offer flowers, incense, food and water to them. We also entertain them through music and songs, offer prayers with full rituals and respect, and seek their blessings. We accept them with their families and friends, including their vahana….see how Durga is welcomed with all her children.’

Rinku loved Saptami, the day when Kola bou arrives in the mandap, and is placed besides Ganeshji as his wife. Nine plants are brought and tied to a banana tree implying nine different goddesses, collectively called ‘ Navapatrika’. The turmeric plant is Maa Durga, and Kola bou is dressed in a red bordered saree. And she loved watching the priest do the maha snan and Pran Pratishtha Puja where Maa Durga is divinised. This she learned from the priest after pestering him for a long time during the last Durga Puja with her never ending questions. Rinku would wear new clothes, go to the Puja mandap in the morning, pray with offering of flowers (Anjali) to Maa Durga after which partake khichri  prasad in the dining area with all other worshippers. And there was a drawing contest in the mandap during afternoon where she hoped to win a prize! Evenings were reserved for Aarti, accompanied by beating of Bengali style drums called dhaak, decorated with coloured clothes and feathers of storks.

Next day was Ashtami….the most important day of Durga Puja for a self respecting Bengali. Rinku will bathe in the morning, dress in her best clothes and fast till she offered her prayers to Maa Durga in the mandap. The priest would install nine small pots and pray for the nine shakti to invoke in them. And like all worshippers she would wait eagerly to watch the Sandhi Puja, that falls between Ashtami and Navami. Her mother had told Rinku that Maa Durga had killed the terrible asura Mahisasur who could change his forms at the drop of a hat, during Sandhi kaal after a well fought battle. And so the priest would make a symbolic sacrifice or Balidan. She shuddered to think how it used to be a goat who would be sacrificed till a few years ago and was relieved it would be a vegetable now! And 108 lamps would be lit during the Sandhi-kaal and placed in a beautiful formation…..Rinku always made it a point to light one herself for luck!

After Asthami would be Navami; where after the usual morning Puja and offering prayers to the Godess who would now be addressed as Mahisasurmardini, Prasad would be served. And Rinku would look forward to the evening where the whole family would get dressed up to go pandal hopping with her Baba to see the different Pujas in Nashik….Gandhinagar, Shubham Park, Gangapur Road, Artillery Centre, Rane Nagar and HAL! Food stalls were put up everywhere and she loved eating fast food which her Maa felt was bad for health! But this year Rangamami and Rangamama would be there too, so it would definitely be fun, as Maa would keep her disciplining to a minimum!

Last day of the Puja was ‘Dashami’ and Rinku would feel sad as after the morning Puja, the Goddess and her children would be taken down from their podium. The married ladies including her Maa and Rangamami would bid farewell to the Goddess on her way home to her husband by doing aarti, feeding her sweets, paan and putting sindur on her forehead. They would also try to comfort the Goddess who had to leave her parent’s home by applying cold compress of paan leaves! Then the idols would be taken in a procession to Ramkund to be immersed in the river Godavari. Rinku loved accompanying the procession where everyone danced  to the beat of the drums crying out ‘ Durga Maii ki Jai…aashche bochor abar hobe’! Afterwards the priest would bless everyone with shanti jaal, sweets would be distributed, people would hug and embrace one another, offering their best wishes to one and all! Everyone would eat non vegetarian meal that night but look sad! However, soon afterwards they cheered up and looked forward to the next Puja with the countdown beginning just then! But for Rinku, good days were ahead with school vacations for Diwali coming on where the whole of Nashik would embark on a big celebration spree!

NASHIK.

November, 2024.

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